Category: Activities

Inspired by the embroidered details found throughout India, many of our graphics this season have a touch of embroidery on them. Our Kingfisher and Rohira Appliqué Graphic Tees for her and Hathi Graphic Tee for him are just a few of the embroidered designs you’ll find in our first delivery. Now we’re asking your little citizens to join in on the fun!

Mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit and is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe. It has been said that creating mandalas helps stabilize, integrate and re-order inner life.

We designed this mandala in hopes that you and your little citizens will decorate it over and over again. In India, mandalas are made of many different types of objects. We’ve gathered household items to create a few different types mandalas ourselves!

What will you come up with? Share it with us using #MakeAMandala on Instagram.

Over our travels, we have been inspired by dragon folklore and symbolism that is revered in many Asian cultures. Though their physical appearance may differ from country to country, the dragons legend is consistent throughout. They are the symbol of power, strength and good luck. Chinese dragons are also closely associated with water. They are said to reside in rivers, lakes and oceans. Ancient Korean folklore suggests that dragons are capable of speaking and understanding emotions such as kindness, devotion and gratitude. Japanese dragons are much like Chinese in appearance and are connected to Buddhism and thought to live in the ponds and lakes near temples.

During the celebrations for the Chinese New Year, which begins on February 19th, 2015, you will see many dragons, especially in parades where people dance with large dragon figures. Here is a craft activity to recreate a dragon, like the one shown in our Daring Dragon Double Decker Tee, that you can share with little citizens to help them explore the ancient Asian mythology.

What You’ll Need to Draw a Dragon:
-1 sheet of white paper
-colored pencils or crayons

We love learning different ways of designing textiles. We feel deeply connected to the ancient Japanese dye technique called Shibori. Shibori comes from the Japanese verb root shiboru, “to wring, squeeze, press.” Dyeing cloth with a Shibori technique requires folding, crumpling, stitching and twisting the cloth to create the design pattern you hope to achieve. What we all love about the Shibori technique (besides the lovely Tea favorite indigo hue!) is the mystery around the process – you never know what type of design you have made until it is done. Learn how to make your own shibori dyed fabrics below!

What You’ll Need:
– An indigo dyeing kit like this one or indigo dye, wood blocks, rubber bands and rubber gloves
– T-shirts, cloth napkins, towels or any other fabric you wish to dye. Cotton responds best to dye.
– Two large containers, one for the dye, one for water.
– Newspaper or plastic to protect the surfaces around you

With the holiday season in full swing, we know many of you might be looking forward to spending a day at home. No need to get out of your pajamas. Take a day to relax and reconnect with your family! Here are some fun indoor activities you can enjoy that don’t involve a TV!

Musical Instruments That Won’t Give You A Headache

Homemade instruments don’t have to involve pots and pans and a lot of noise! Make these easy and soothing shakers and let you kids put on a show! Have them help you make put them together and teach them how to shake to a song!

What You Need:

– Tin cans, cleaned and the labels taken off

-Balloons with the end cut off

-Rubber Bands

-Rice or beans

Instructions: Find some empty tin cans in your recycling and clean them out thoroughly. Fill them 1/3 of the way with rice or beans. Cut a balloon so that you can fit it tightly over the tin can. Place it on the can and secure it tightly with a rubber band. Put on a song or sing a well known tune and let them take the stage!

What you will need:
Painted canvas (we used 12 x 24 in)
Various colors of card stock or poster board
Many shapes in different sizes and colors from cut from card stock (you can use a stencil or trace things from common household items. A hole puncher is great for the eyes!)
Scissors
Glue stick

Take a picture of your child’s completed Tea Collection activity book picture and send it to us at blog@teacollection.com with “Activity Book Entry” in the subject line. We pick one winner each month to receive a $100 Tea gift certificate.